The present invention generally relates to carbon dioxide dry cleaning systems and, more particularly, to improved carbon dioxide dry cleaning systems that purify and reclaim carbon dioxide without the use of heaters and that do not use pumps to move liquid carbon dioxide.
The dry cleaning industry makes up one of the largest groups of chemical users that come into direct contact with the general public. Currently, the dry cleaning industry primarily uses perchloroethylene ("perc") and petroleum-based solvents. These solvents present health and safety risks and are detrimental to the environment. More specifically, perc is a suspected carcinogen while petroleum-based solvents are flammable and produce smog. For these reasons, the dry cleaning industry is engaged in an ongoing search for alternative, safe and environmentally "green" cleaning technologies, substitute solvents and methods to control exposure to dry cleaning chemicals.
Liquid carbon dioxide has been identified as a solvent that is an inexpensive and an unlimited natural resource. Furthermore, liquid carbon dioxide is non-toxic, non-flammable and does not produce smog. Liquid carbon dioxide does not damage fabrics or dissolve common dyes and exhibits solvating properties typical of more traditional solvents. Its properties make it a good dry cleaning medium for fabrics and garments. As a result, several dry cleaning systems utilizing carbon dioxide as a solvent have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,194 to Maffei discloses a simple dry cleaning process wherein garments are placed in a cylinder and liquid carbon dioxide is gravity fed thereto from a refrigerated storage tank. The liquid carbon dioxide passes through the garments, removing soil, and is transferred to an evaporator. The evaporator vaporizes the carbon dioxide so that the soil is left behind. The vaporized carbon dioxide is pumped to a condenser and the liquid carbon dioxide produced thereby is returned to the refrigerated storage tank.
The system of Maffei, however, does not disclose a means for agitating the garments. Furthermore, because the system of Maffei does not disclose a means for pressurizing the chamber, the carbon dioxide must be very cold to remain in a liquid state. Both of these limitations inhibit the cleaning performance of the Maffei system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,455 to Dewees et al. discloses a system wherein liquid carbon dioxide is pumped to a pressurized cleaning chamber from a pressurized storage vessel. The cleaning chamber features a basket containing the soiled garments. The interior of the basket includes projecting vanes so that a tumbling motion is induced upon the garments when the basket is rotated by an electric motor. This causes the garments to drop and splash into the solvent. This method of agitation, known as the "drop and splash" technique, is used by the majority of traditional dry cleaning systems. After agitation, a compressed gas is pumped into the chamber to replace the liquid carbon dioxide. The displaced "dirty" liquid carbon dioxide is pumped to a vaporizer which is equipped with an internal heat exchanger. This allows "clean" gaseous carbon dioxide to be recovered and routed back to the storage vessel.
While the system of Dewees et al. overcomes the shortcomings of Maffei, namely, the lack of an agitation means and a pressurized cleaning chamber, it relies upon a pump to move its liquid carbon dioxide and utilizes a heat exchanger in its vaporizer. Both of these components add complexity, cost and maintenance requirements to the system. In addition, the mechanically rotating basket, whether achieved by large, magnetically coupled drives or by shafts, is expensive and has high maintenance costs.
Many patents have disclosed improved agitation arrangements for carbon dioxide dry cleaning systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,492 to Chao et al. discloses a fixed perforated basket combined with a variety of agitation techniques. These include "gas bubble/boiling agitation" where the liquid carbon dioxide in the basket is boiled, "liquid agitation" where nozzles spraying carbon dioxide tumble the liquid and garments, "sonic agitation" where sonic nozzles create agitating waves and "stirring agitation" where an impeller creates the fluid agitation. The remaining portion of the system of Chao, however, does not provide for a significant improvement over Dewees et al. in that a pump is still relied upon to move the liquid carbon dioxide from the system storage container to the cleaning chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,276 to Purer et al. discloses an agitation technique which removes particulate soils from fabrics by gas jets. This gas agitation process is performed separately from the solvent-immersion process. Purer et al. further disclose that carbon dioxide may be employed both as the gas and the solvent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,251 to Townsend et al. discloses a rotating basket for a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system powered by a hydraulic flow emitted by a number of nozzles. This eliminates the need for rotating seals and drive shafts. While these two patents address agitation techniques, they do not address the remaining portion of the dry cleaning system.
Finally, the Hughes DRYWASH carbon dioxide dry cleaning machine, manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company of Los Angeles, Calif., utilizes a pump to fill a pressurized cleaning chamber with liquid carbon dioxide. The cleaning chamber contains a fixed basket featuring four nozzles. As the basket is being filled with carbon dioxide, all four nozzles are open. Once the basket is filled, however, two of the nozzles are closed. The remaining two open nozzles are positioned so that they create an agitating vortex within the basket as liquid carbon dioxide flows through them. Soil-laden liquid carbon dioxide exits the basket and chamber and is routed to a lint trap and filter train. Furthermore, the system features a still that contains an electric heater so that soluble impurities may be removed.
While the Hughes DRYWASH system is effective, it also suffers the cost, maintenance and reliability disadvantages associated with a liquid pump and an electrically heated still.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system that utilizes both the solvent properties of carbon dioxide and high velocity liquid to remove insoluble particles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system that purifies and reclaims carbon dioxide without the use of an electrical heater or a heat exchanger.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system that moves liquid without the use of a pump.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carbon dioxide handling system for use in a dry cleaning process.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carbon dioxide dry cleaning system with adjustable agitation pressure so that delicate objects may be cleaned without damage.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carbon dioxide dry cleaning system that may accommodate a solvent additive.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the Specification.